Udinese vs Arsenal Match Thread, ITV1 7:30pm

Chris wrote:

Steadman wrote:

Chris wrote:

Steadman wrote:

Chris wrote:
So he can run in behind and be a predator in the box.. we wouldn't be using him like a target man.

He's not smart enough or technically efficient to play on his own and lead the line. Any smart defensive partnership would kill him out of the game, even with his lightning pace.

Disagree completely. Plus you never see him play striker so you don't have anything to base an opinion off which makes your argument of the defensive partnership killing him out of the game useless. With RVP right behind him he would be an absolute weapon. How would 2 central defenders stop him if we play a decent ball over the top? He beats them to it everytime.

He is decent when he can run in behind a high defensive line from out wide, although teams rarely set out to allow him this opportunity, playing him centrally though defences will just allow him the space to run at them with the ball something he cannot do.

A simple deployment of a deep defence causes Theo to become very ineffective. He will be forced to run with the ball at his feet and defenders will just double team him effectively killing him out of the game.

He would be a predator when they sit deep and as we saw last season he scored almost all of his goals from striker positions inside the opposition box.

I'm not going to agree with you Chris. One thing I will say is he would only be effective as part of a 4-4-2, even then, we don't have the sort of team to effectively play a 4-4-2 and he would not be as good as you're making him out.

Decent at best.

Am I the only Liverpool fan who is pleased for Arsenal?

Up the Arse!!

There can be a group of Barcelona, AC Milan, Man City, Dortmund.

Chris wrote:

BMxJoga wrote:

Chris wrote:

BMxJoga wrote:

Chris wrote:
Disagree completely. Plus you never see him play striker so you don't have anything to base an opinion off which makes your argument of the defensive partnership killing him out of the game useless. With RVP right behind him he would be an absolute weapon. How would 2 central defenders stop him if we play a decent ball over the top? He beats them to it everytime.

It's easy to say a decent ball over the top. The fact is that most decent center backs will play Walcott either really high or really deep. And what happens when when he gets the ball, what's he going to do by himself?

Well at the moment we can't do any balls over the top when they play a highline because Van Persie doesn't run in behind like Theo can. He would do a similar job to Hernandez at United if we played him up top who is also a good striker but limited player.

Ehh, Hernandez is hardly limited as a striker. Not too fast, not very strong, decent touch but he has the instincts of a striker.

Truth is Wenger can make Walcott a decent striker. Look at Henry and van Persie. But Walcott can't play up top alone, what are you going to do put balls over top all day?

I've said many times RVP would be right behind him in the hole/support striker. He has all the ability to be striker and none of what is needed to play on the wing.

I'd love for him to play up top, but it's his tactical awareness and positioning up front that would prevent him from being great just yet. He still needs to work on that. A prime example was today when Rosicky threaded a through ball to him and he didn't even know where the ball was going to land, mind you this ball was on the floor and he was quite free.

Although at times he can be good with his runs e.g. the goal at WHL last season.

Mal wrote:There can be a group of Barcelona, AC Milan, Man City, Dortmund.

Barcelona 18
Milan 10
City 6
Dortmund 3

I didn't calculate anything so don't slay me bitches.

Good to see Arsenal in the Champions League, Udinese are one of the most wasteful teams I've seen in my life, could have had about 12 goals over the two legs.

Theo Walcott showing his natural striker ability as per, sort it our Arsene.

19Jones19v wrote:

Chris wrote:

BMxJoga wrote:

Chris wrote:

BMxJoga wrote:

It's easy to say a decent ball over the top. The fact is that most decent center backs will play Walcott either really high or really deep. And what happens when when he gets the ball, what's he going to do by himself?

Well at the moment we can't do any balls over the top when they play a highline because Van Persie doesn't run in behind like Theo can. He would do a similar job to Hernandez at United if we played him up top who is also a good striker but limited player.

Ehh, Hernandez is hardly limited as a striker. Not too fast, not very strong, decent touch but he has the instincts of a striker.

Truth is Wenger can make Walcott a decent striker. Look at Henry and van Persie. But Walcott can't play up top alone, what are you going to do put balls over top all day?

I've said many times RVP would be right behind him in the hole/support striker. He has all the ability to be striker and none of what is needed to play on the wing.

I'd love for him to play up top, but it's his tactical awareness and positioning up front that would prevent him from being great just yet. He still needs to work on that. A prime example was today when Rosicky threaded a through ball to him and he didn't even know where the ball was going to land, mind you this ball was on the floor and he was quite free.

Although at times he can be good with his runs e.g. the goal at WHL last season.

That ball from Rosicky didn't have enough legs, it was more behind him than in front of him. Need to put them for strikers to run onto, not behind them.

kyro7 wrote:Good to see Arsenal in the Champions League

I agree. I want a Premier League team to win it this year, we need to make a statement of our supposed superiority.

Cliffs:

GOAL! Udinese 1 Arsenal 0 (Di Natale 39)
Oh, it really gets tense now. Pinzi collects the ball about 25 yards out, chips in a great ball, and Di Natale leaps high and sends a looping header into the top corner. Superb goal. Big trouble for Arsenal.

GOAL! Udinese 1 Arsenal 1 (Van Persie 55)
Huge goal for Arsenal! Gervinho eases his way past his marker on the left of the box, gets to the byeline and cuts it back for Van Persie who slams it home from six yards. Udinese now need two goals to go through. That is huge for the visitors.

GOAL! Udinese 1 Arsenal 2 (Walcott 69)
That must be it surely! Walcott and Sagna combine really well and Walcott is released down the left and he flies away from the Udinese defence and cooly slots it past Handanovic to make it 2-1. Very good finish, and what a relief that will be for Arsenal. Champions League football beckons.

Such a dissapointing 2nd half. Fantastic first 45 minutes and they threw it all away. Shame.

xPeterLFC95 wrote:Am I the only Liverpool fan who is pleased for Arsenal?

Probably yes, I wanted them to go out but I will want them to win on Sunday.